commercial real estate: OPM or Opium? Which one were we smoking?
- 02/20/09 01:00 AM
I'm a community banker and a commercial real estate lender. At the close of a recent Optimist Club meeting, a fellow Optimist posed this question: "Clark, how long do you think it will be before I'll be able to buy investment property again with a 10% downpayment?" I answered him as diplomatically as possible, but I was thinking, "If the system had been working properly and consistently, you should never have been able to do that in the first place." My point? 10% of acquisition cost isn't enough skin in the game in any economy. We've all had it beat into our collective … (5 comments)
commercial real estate: More success stories
- 02/18/09 06:57 AM
I just returned from a weekly Optimist Club meeting. Continuing on a positive, optimistic note, I'm spotlighting three of my customers representing three vastly different industries who are continuing to succeed in spite of the present economic conditions. To use Dave Ramsey's phrase, these entrepreneurs are choosing not to participate in the recession.
Entrepreneur A has owned and operated a hydroponic greenhouse operation in our town for the past 4 years. Through hard work, diligence, and innovation, he and his family have cultivated a specific niche in the hydroponic greenhouse industry. Two years ago they developed a new product which has allowed them to diversify … (0 comments)
I'm a community banker and a commercial real estate lender. At the close of a recent Optimist Club meeting, a fellow Optimist posed this question: "Clark, how long do you think it will be before I'll be able to buy investment property again with a 10% downpayment?" I answered him as diplomatically as possible, but I was thinking, "If the system had been working properly and consistently, you should never have been able to do that in the first place." My point?;)
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